Hospitality Assistant

About the Role

The Hospitality Assistant position at Rice University involves preparing dishes, maintaining food quality and sanitation, and supporting kitchen cleanliness. This role may also involve performing specialized duties as a Cashier, Dishwasher, Cold Prep, Bakeshop Prep, Restaurant Server, Banquet Server, Barista, or Cohen House Steward. The schedule is varied and includes weekends and holidays, requiring availability for any shift.

Key Responsibilities

• Prepares and serves food items in accordance with menus and standardized recipes.
• Maintains high standards of sanitation within the kitchen and serving area, including cleaning standard kitchen equipment.
• Performs one or more specialized roles:
• Cashier: Provides customer service, answers questions, maintains door security, and ensures front-of-house cleanliness and setup.
• Dishwasher: Maintains servery and kitchen cleanliness, assists with dishwashing (including pots and pans), and is responsible for sweeping and mopping.
• Cold Prep: Assists with food production and preparation of cold food items (e.g., salads, fruit trays, deli items) and maintains workstation cleanliness and stocking.
• Bakeshop Prep: Assists with the preparation and production of baked goods (e.g., pastries, cookies, bread) and maintains workstation cleanliness and organization.
• Restaurant Server: Provides professional table service, including taking orders, serving food and beverages, and ensuring a high-quality dining experience.
• Banquet Server: Responsible for the setup, service, and breakdown of special events and banquets, involving furniture moving, table setting, and serving large groups.
• Barista: Prepares and serves specialty coffee beverages and maintains coffee station cleanliness and stock.
• Cohen House Steward: Maintains the ambiance and cleanliness of dining and meeting spaces, ensuring guest readiness.
• Performs all other assigned duties.

Requirements & Tech Stack

• High school diploma
• 0–1 year of related culinary experience
• In lieu of experience, additional related education may be substituted on an equivalent year-for-year basis.
• Certified Food Handler's Permit (Houston) or equivalent (ServSafe)

Qualifications

• Experience working in a team environment.
• Ability to work in a fast-paced environment while managing multiple tasks.
• Ability to detect scents and discern flavors.
• HACCP Compliance: Able to document HACCP log sheets.
• Communication: Must be able to speak and understand basic English.
• Collaboration: Good interpersonal skills and ability to work as part of a team.
• Technical Literacy: Able to read and understand standard recipes and production sheets.
• Physical Endurance: Requires walking or standing for up to 8 hours per day.
• Mobility: Ability to bend, crouch, kneel, lift, see, reach, climb, and balance.
• Schedule Flexibility: Available to work any required shift, including weekends and holidays.

Physical Demands

• LIGHT WORK: Up to 25 lbs. of force occasionally.
• Walking or standing for up to 8 hours per day.
• Manual dexterity.
• Ability to see, hear, reach, climb, and balance.

Work Environment

• Commercial kitchen.
• Exposure to extreme temperatures.
• Work hazards include exposure to chemicals, wet floors, dangerous equipment (fryers, stoves, ovens, knives, slicers, etc.), and hot oil, steam, and water.

Workplace Requirements

• On-campus position requiring all duties to be performed in person at Rice University.
• Classified as an Essential On-Campus Position, requiring on-site presence during emergencies or crises.

Hiring Range

• $18.00 - $21.57 hourly, contingent upon qualifications and experience.
• Non-Exempt (hourly) positions are eligible for overtime.